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Tag: God

  • The God who creates situations and circumstances – By Femi Aribisala

    The God who creates situations and circumstances – By Femi Aribisala

    “Only the love of God can rescue us”.

    Bolaji Ogundimu had only recently been appointed as my secretary when she put in an application for a housing loan. I had put aside a lump sum of money that could be borrowed by my staff interest-free. This was operated as a round-robin. As some pay back every month, new loans could be disbursed.

    However, Bolaji’s chances of getting a loan in the short term were slim because many others were in the queue before her.

    But then two “good Samaritans” came to see me. They insisted that Bolaji should be given a loan right away.

    What kind of favouritism is this, I wondered? “Bolaji has just applied,” I pointed out. “There are so many others who applied before her and are yet to receive. How could you, in good conscience, argue that she should leapfrog over those she met in the queue? Won’t people say she is being favoured because she happens to be my secretary?”

    Bolaji’s “lawyers” were not easily dissuaded. “The problem,” they said, “is that Bolaji’s condition is a bit desperate. We have seen where she lives and feel something needs to be done for her very urgently.”

    “How would you feel,” I asked them, “if you were one of those who applied before Bolaji? Would you be so understanding then?”

    I put my foot down. “We must do things by the book. We must be fair and be seen to be fair. Bolaji will be given a loan when it is her turn. In the meantime, there is nothing I can do.”

    Guilty as charged

    I was on a trip to New York when the Lord revisited the issue of Bolaji’s housing loan. Suddenly He asked me:

    “Femi, do you love Me?”

    “Of course, I love you,” I replied immediately.

    But then the Lord continued: “Femi, you don’t love Me.”

    I was nothing less than devastated.

    “How could you say I don’t love you?” I protested.

    “So how come you did not give My son a housing loan?” He continued.

    Then I knew I was really in trouble. When the Lord reprimands you concerning someone and then refers to that person endearingly as “My son,” you know you are really in trouble. If the Lord calls Bolaji (who happens to be a woman) “My son,” what does that make me?

    “But Bolaji is not qualified for the loan,” I insisted. “There are many other people in the queue before her.”

    “What would qualify Bolaji for the housing loan?” the Lord wanted to know.

    By this time, I was past argument. My face was simply covered in tears. The Lord pointed out that He had sent two people to me to impress on me the deplorable state of Bolaji’s housing condition. Nevertheless, I failed to respond out of adherence to my so-called principles of fairness.

    Then came another bombshell. “You have to make up your mind whether you are going to follow your principles or follow Me.”

    I cried non-stop for the next two days. It was deliberately on a weekend, and I could not reach Bolaji until Monday, as she did not have her phone. On Monday morning, I phoned her in my office to apologise to her. I asked her to forgive me for being insensitive to her housing situation.

    I told her to take the money for her rent from my office safe, which she operated. “It is not a loan,” I said. “It is a gift from me.” That way, the procedure of the housing loan scheme was not violated. Nobody could accuse me of discrimination. But the love of God had found a way to deal with Bolaji’s urgent housing problem.

    The set-up

    I thought I was in the clear until the day I was leaving New York to come back to Lagos. First, I wasted some time by haggling with the taxi driver over the fare from Canarsie to John F. Kennedy Airport. It is normally 20 dollars, but he insisted it was 25. Then the queue at the Swiss Air check-in section was slower than usual.

    When I finally got to the counter, there was a malfunction with the computer. The lady attendant sought the assistance of a supervisor, who came to fix the problem. I waited, while they discussed, analysed, and fiddled with whatever was on the screen. This went on for about twenty minutes when suddenly another gentleman came to announce that the counter was closed.

    Closed? I could not believe my ears. “How could the counter be closed?” I protested. “I have been waiting here for the last twenty minutes while your colleagues have been trying to fix a fault on this terminal.”

    I heard the man’s response correctly. I was supposed to hear him. He said to me: “According to the principles of Swiss Air, this terminal closes at six o’clock. Once it is six o’clock, no more passengers are taken on board the plane.”

    The man was not one to argue. After he dropped this bombshell, he simply walked away.

    I was in a panic. My situation had become rather desperate. I had only 100 dollars left on me. I could not afford to stay any longer in New York. I just had to get on that plane.

    And then I heard that still small voice of the Holy Spirit. “So, Femi,” He asked, “how do you intend to get on the plane? They have principles too at Swiss Air.”

    Reversal of fortunes

    I had been set up by none other than the Holy Spirit. The Lord had brought about a reversal of fortunes. With the housing loan scheme, I was the one who had the prerogative of mercy (or so I thought). With my flight back to Lagos, I was the one in need of mercy. It was time to plea-bargain.

    I told the Lord: “I thought you’ve forgiven me concerning Bolaji.” I pointed out that I had not waited until I got back to Lagos to make restitution for my heartlessness. I phoned Bolaji from New York and gave her the money.

    “Please, Lord Jesus,” I prayed. “Only Your love can get me on this plane. Please get me on this plane for Your name’s sake.”

    Just then a gentleman came and tapped me on the shoulder. He was wearing a Swiss Air uniform. “What seems to be the problem?” he asked. I gave him chapter and verse of everything, including the computer malfunction. “Don’t worry,” he said. “Come with me. But you are going to have to bring your luggage.”

    I promptly put my luggage back on the trolley and followed this good Samaritan. This instrument of God’s salvation took me to the Swiss Air boarding gate, got me a boarding pass and put my luggage on the plane.

    “Where are you from?” he asked me. I told him I was from Nigeria. He smiled and pointed out that he was from Kenya. I would not have guessed it because he was white. Then he said to me:

    “The only thing I don’t like about Nigerians is that you always beat us in football.”

    He then shook hands with me and went away.

  • The God who is not a Christian – By Femi Aribisala

    The God who is not a Christian – By Femi Aribisala

    “If Jesus had come today instead of 2,000 years ago, pastors would have killed him”.

    A man traveling from Jerusalem to Jericho was attacked by armed robbers, stripped of his belongings, and left lying half-dead on the road. Divine providence ensured that first a priest, and then a Levite, passed by. But instead of helping the dying man; both quickly moved to the other side of the road and went away.

    Finally, a Samaritan came along. Unlike the priest and the Levite, he had compassion on the hapless man, bound up his wounds, took him to the hospital, and paid for his medical expenses.

    Good Samaritan

    Jesus’ story of this Good Samaritan is deliberate. It is incredible how, as Christians, we fail to recognise its full implications. The first mistake we make is in the identity of the Good Samaritan. When we situate the story in the contemporary setting, (as we should with all scripture), we assume that the Good Samaritan must be a Christian.

    However, Jesus deliberately excludes that possibility by providing two characters representative of believers in any age. Today, the priest is easily identifiable as a pastor, while the Levite is a Christian worker.

    Who then is the Good Samaritan? Let me repeat this for emphasis: The Good Samaritan cannot be a Christian. The Christian is already adequately represented by the priest and the Levite. The Good Samaritan can only be Jesus Himself.

    Jesus’ story eloquently sets forth the goodness and kindness of Christ our Saviour towards sinful, miserable, and defenceless humanity. The thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy, but Christ comes to give life and to give it abundantly. (John 10:10).

    But if Jesus is the Good Samaritan, then Jesus is not a Jew; for Samaritans were not accepted as Jews. As Paul points out:

    “He is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh, but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter; whose praise is not from men but from God.” (Romans 2:28-29).

    If Jesus is the Good Samaritan, then Jesus is a Samaritan. If Jesus is not a Jew but a Samaritan, then Jesus cannot be a Christian, for it is the Jew that represents the Christian of today in the Scriptures.

    Jesus’ killers

    By the time some Jews observed Jesus, they concluded that He was not a Jew. In the first place, He refused to be regarded as a disciple of Moses but claimed instead to have come to fulfil the law. (Matthew 5:17). He did not obey the letter of Jewish laws but claimed to comply with its spirit.

    He insisted pharisaic religious tradition was old wine that could not be put into the new bottles He provided for the new wine of the New Testament. (Matthew 9:17). He prefaced a lot of His sermons with the statement: “You have heard that it was said to those of old… but I say.” (Matthew 5:27-28).

    Therefore, some Jews insisted Jesus was not Jewish. Their position was that He was a closet Samaritan:

    “Then the Jews answered and said to him, “Do we not say rightly that you are a Samaritan and have a demon?” Jesus answered, “I do not have a demon; but I honour My Father, and you dishonour Me.” (John 8:48-49).

    Note that Jesus did not contest the charge that He was a Samaritan. But He took great exception to the allegation that He had a demon.

    But if Jesus identified with the Samaritans and not with the Jews, then it becomes clear he would not identify with most of the Christians of today. Let me be so bold as to say that if Jesus were in the flesh today, He would not be a Christian.

    If Jesus had come today instead of 2,000 years ago, pastors and bishops would also have killed him. Like He did to their forefathers, Jesus would also have exposed the ungodliness of today’s Christian establishments to public ridicule.

    Religious irrelevancies

    So, if Jesus would not have been a Christian, what would He have been? He would have simply been Jesus without any specific religious affiliation. Today, Jesus has been replaced by theology, but the real Jesus was not religious. Jesus established no religious institution when He was on earth.

    Indeed, if Jesus were to show up physically on earth today, most Christians would not recognise Him the same way the Jews did not. If He came as a woman, we would not recognise Him. If He smoked cigarettes, we would not recognise Him. If He drank whisky, we would not recognise Him. If He wore earrings and a nose ring, we would not recognise Him. If He spoke Pidgin English, we would not recognise Him. Since He did not wear trousers, we would be contemptuous of Him. We would disqualify Him by religious irrelevancies instead of identifying Him by His fruits. (Matthew 7:20).

    When Jesus asked the lawyer to identify the neighbour of the man who fell among thieves, the man wisely did not say it was the Samaritan. If he had said that, he would have been wrong. Instead, he correctly defined him by his fruit. He said: “He who showed mercy on him.”

    He who showed mercy on him could be anybody, Christian or non-Christian, so long as he believed in Jesus and produced the fruits of Jesus’ righteousness.

    Merciless Christians

    What then does the story of the Good Samaritan mean if, indeed, the priest and the Levite represent today’s Christians? It means that, prophetically, it is the Christians of today who have no mercy. We despise unbelievers, certain they are going to hell. We speak disparagingly of them. We condemn sinners on the grounds they are ungodly.

    We stone them because they are caught in adultery. We fail to appreciate that they are hapless travellers on the road of life who have been attacked by spiritual armed robbers and left for dead. We conveniently forget that we used to be in the same predicament until we were rescued by the grace of God.

    Therefore, “God is not a Christian,” declared Reverend Desmond Tutu. “We are supposed to proclaim the God of love, but we have been guilty as Christians of sowing hatred and suspicion; we commend the one whom we call the Prince of Peace, and yet as Christians, we have fought more wars than we care to remember. We have claimed to be a fellowship of compassion and caring and sharing, but as Christians, we often sanctify socio-political systems that belie this, where the rich grow ever richer and the poor grow ever poorer.”

    One thing is certain. Both the offending priest and the Levite must have had “compelling” reasons for not attending to the man dying on the roadside. They probably could not stop because they were in a hurry to attend a Bible study. The priest decided that the best thing to do was to pray for the man when he got to church. The Levite was hurrying to get to a meeting of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria and could not afford to be late.

    Jesus’ parable “kills” the self-righteous believer who thinks he is justified by calling himself a Christian and by going regularly to church. He alerts us to the danger of assuming we are heaven-bound because of our observance of certain religious rites. True Christianity is not legalistic. The love of our neighbour is the emblem of our being Christ’s disciples.

    “Dear friends, let us practice loving each other, for love comes from God and those who are loving and kind show that they are the children of God.” (1 John 4:7).

     

    (Culled from my new book: “KIngdom Dynamics: The God Christians Reject.”)

  • The God of all providence – By Femi Aribisala

    The God of all providence – By Femi Aribisala

    “God controls how we feel. He determines our dispositions”.

    God schedules each day of our lives before we even begin to breathe. Every day is pre-recorded in His book. (Psalm 139:16). Each man is created for a specific purpose in the counsel of God, to play a specific role in life.

     The righteous are:

    “A chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, (God’s) own special people, that (they) may proclaim the praises of Him who called (them) out of darkness into His marvelous light.” (1 Peter 2:9).

    But the wicked are made for the day of doom. (Proverbs 16:4).

    “The wicked are estranged from the womb; they go astray as soon as they are born, speaking lies.” (Psalm 58:3).

    God is sovereign

    God does not give man the latitude to do what he wants. It is God who determines all human actions:

    “A man’s heart plans his way, but the LORD directs his steps.” (Proverbs 16:9).  

    When Israel went astray, God was behind it. Isaiah asks God why He made that happen, when He could have prevented it:

    “O LORD, why have You made us stray from Your ways, and hardened our heart from Your fear?” (Isaiah 63:17).

    When the Israelites sin, it is because God’s judgment affects their will:

    “You make us turn back from the enemy, and those who hate us have taken spoil for themselves.” (Psalm 44:10).

    God withheld Abimelech from committing adultery with Sarah, Abraham’s wife.” (Genesis 20:6). But He did not prevent David from committing adultery with Bathsheba, Uriah’s wife. In fact, it was God who moved David to sin by numbering Israel. (2 Samuel 24:1).

    We only do what God permits or allows. The Bible shows conclusively that:

    “God frustrates the devices of the crafty so that their hands cannot carry out their plans.” (Job 5:12). 

    Hearts and minds

    God fully controls the hearts of men. Solomon says:

    “The king’s heart is in the hand of the LORD, like the rivers of water; he turns it wherever He wishes.” (Proverbs 21:1).

    When the Israelites were in Egypt, God turned the Egyptians against them:

    “He turned their heart to hate His people, to deal craftily with His servants.” (Psalm 105:25).

    But when He sent them into captivity, He made their captors treat them with compassion:

    “He also made them to be pitied by all those who carried them away captive.” (Psalm 106:46).

    While in captivity, He made a promise to Israel that now also applies to all humanity:

    “I will give them a heart to know Me, that I am the LORD; and they shall be My people, and I will be their God, for they shall return to Me with their whole heart.” (Jeremiah 24:7).

    Human disposition

    God controls how we feel. He determines our dispositions. He caused the Egyptians to give their articles of silver and gold to the Israelites on their departure from Egypt:

    “The LORD gave the people favour in the sight of the Egyptians.” (Exodus 11:3).

    If we are sad, God is the cause. If we are happy, God is behind it:

    “A distressing spirit from the LORD troubled him.” (1 Samuel 16:14).

    David acknowledges this to God. He says:

    “You have put gladness in my heart.” (Psalm 4:7).

    When it serves His purposes, God makes us like some people, and He makes us dislike others:

    “God sent a spirit of ill will between Abimelech and the men of Shechem, and the men of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech.” (Judges 9:23).

    God even controls our speech. He assures Moses, a stammerer:

    “I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall say.” (Exodus 4:12).

    We only pray to God because God enables it. Accordingly, the psalmist asks for God’s enablement:

    “Revive us, and we will call upon Your name.” (Psalm 80:18).

    Knowledge and understanding

    It is God who gives knowledge, wisdom, and understanding. (Proverbs 2:6). Elihu says:

    “There is a spirit in man, and the breath of the Almighty gives him understanding.” (Job 32:8).

    If God wants us to know something, He will make us know it. Thus, Luke says of Lydia:

    “The Lord opened her heart to heed the things spoken by Paul.” (Acts 16:14).

    But if God does not want us to know something, He will ensure that we will not know it. This was the predicament of biblical Israel:

    “God has given them a spirit of stupor, eyes that they should not see and ears that they should not hear, to this very day.” (Romans 11:7).

    Once God determines to destroy a people, He hardens their hearts against His counsel. This was also the case with the evil sons of Samuel:

    “They did not heed the voice of their father, because the LORD desired to kill them.” (1 Samuel 2:25).

    If a man’s ways please the Lord:

    “He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.” (Proverbs 16:7).

    But if we offend God, He ensures that our enemies prevail against us. The psalmist says to God:

    “You make us turn back from the enemy, and those who hate us have taken spoil for themselves.” (Psalm 44:10).

    Gift of salvation

    Salvation is entirely at God’s discretion. God causes people to come to Him. (Psalm 65:4). Jesus says:

    “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him.” (John 6:44).

    “I revealed myself to those who did not ask for Me; I was found by those who did not seek Me. To a nation that did not call on My name, I said, ‘Here am I, here am I.’” (Isaiah 65:1).

    Even repentance is God’s gift. (Acts 11:18). If God does not want us to repent, we cannot and will not.

    Paul also echoes this:

    “It is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy.” (Romans 9:16).

    As a result, the elect are God’s workmanship:

    “Created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:10).

    Fatalistic responses

    Because it is well understood that the counsel of God is immutable, many in scripture do not bother to contest His judgments. When Samuel gave Eli the dire verdict of God that his house would be judged severely for the sins of his sons, Samuel simply resigned to his fate. He said:

    “It is the LORD. Let Him do what seems good to Him.” (1 Samuel 3:18).

    Job also accepted implicitly the providence of God. With the loss of his children, his wealth, and his health, He said:

    “The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.” (Job 1:21).

    Since God is the Judge behind everything, Jeremiah asks:

    “Why should a living man complain?” (Lamentation 3:39).

    David also reaches the same conclusion. He says to God:

    “I was mute, I did not open my mouth, because it was You who did it.” (Psalm 39:9).

    Therefore, Peter counsels us:

    “Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God.” (1 Peter 5:6).

    Only the Lord God Almighty can make this kind of promise:

    “Whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.” (John 14:13-14).

  • Unrighteous money – By Femi Aribisala

    Unrighteous money – By Femi Aribisala

    Most Christians do not bother with the words of Jesus.  If they did, they would not be Christians. Churches carefully avoid Jesus’ words.  They are not words on which a large congregational empire can be built.  When the people heard the words of Jesus, they left in droves. When Peter understood the message of Jesus, he prevailed on Jesus to change it.  Jesus’ words provide the small gate and narrow road that leads to life that only a few will find. (Matthew 7:14).

    Money is not a currency of the kingdom of God. 

    Deceitful money

    So let us look at one of those weighty words of Jesus that Christians prefer to ignore.  Jesus refers to money tautologically as “unrighteous mammon.” (Luke 16:9).  This means money is fundamentally ungodly.  There is no “righteous mammon.”  According to Jesus, riches are deceitful. (Matthew 13:22).  They promise what they cannot deliver.  They promise prosperity but impoverish the soul. (Matthew 16:26).  They promise peace but bring anxiety. (Ecclesiastes 5:12).

    Money is man-made: it is not of God.  Indeed, it is an idol, the very antithesis of God.  Money rules over men, ensuring that it competes with God for human allegiance.  Therefore, our faith in Christ compels a choice.  Jesus insists: “No one can serve two masters. For either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will hold to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.” (Matthew 6:24).

    Jesus never has any commendation for the rich or for earthly riches.  Instead, He warns: “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:19-21).

    Jesus’ position is that man’s heart is of limited capacity.  If our heart is set on worldly riches, we cannot at the same time have God; “the Desire of All Nations” (Haggai 2:7), as our heart’s treasure.

    Money is not a currency of the kingdom of God.  The currency of the kingdom is righteousness.  Jesus insists money does not even belong to the believer, who is redeemed without money. (Isaiah 52:3).  If it belongs to us, we will take it with us when we die.  We don’t because it belongs to someone else.

    Therefore, Jesus asks: “If you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?  And if you have not been faithful in what is another man’s, who will give you what is your own?” (Luke 16:11-12).

    False riches

    Money constitutes false riches.  The riches of this world belong to the wicked.  The psalmist declares: “Behold, these are the ungodly, who prosper in the world; they increase in riches.” (Psalm 73:12).  The wicked prefer the temporal to the eternal.  Therefore, God is content to make this vainglorious world their inheritance.  Thus, David talks of “men of the world who have their portion in this life.” (Psalm 17:14).

    What then belongs to the believer?  “The LORD is (our) portion.” (Lamentations 3:24).  When a man sought Jesus’ help to secure his inheritance, He replied: “Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.” (Luke 12:15).

    But how could the man have been guilty of covetousness when all he wanted was his portion of his inheritance?  The man failed to understand that Jesus’ doctrine makes us heirs of God and not of men.  He was guilty of insisting on what belongs to another man, while neglecting what is rightfully his portion in God.

    God is interested in who we are and not what we have.  He says: “I AM WHO I AM.” (Exodus 3:14).  He does not say “I am what I have.”  This life is not about ownership; it is about stewardship.  Worldly possessions are the believer’s stewardship.  We are managers of our finances, without the burden of ownership.

    In the Day of Judgment, God will require us to account for how we spent all the money that came into our hands.  Did we use it to secure our temporal “future” here on earth, or to safeguard our eternal future in heaven?  Jesus says sardonically: “Make friends for yourselves by unrighteous mammon, that when you fail, they may receive you into an everlasting home.” (Luke 16:9).

    It is not surprising then that God’s judgment is often proclaimed on those who handle money. (Zephaniah 1:11).  Rich men who are not prepared to give away their wealth to the poor cannot enter the kingdom of heaven and become heirs of God.  Instead of amassing earthly riches, Jesus counsels that we should endeavour to be rich towards God. (Luke 12:16-21).

    Blessing of God

    Men bless with money.  But Jesus says: “Not as the world gives do I give to you.” (John 14:27).  Therefore, money cannot be a blessing of God.  God blesses with His Holy Spirit. (Luke 11:13).

    What money buys is not of God, and that which is of God cannot be bought with money. (Acts 8:20).  The blessing of the LORD makes rich, and He adds no sorrow with it.” (Proverbs 10:22).  But money adds sorrow for the simple reason that it fails.

    Money failed in Egypt and in Canaan. (Genesis 47:15).  Check the current exchange-rate: money has failed in Nigeria.  Sooner than later, money grows wings and flies away like an eagle towards heaven. (Proverbs 23:5).

    Can we give money to God?  Jesus says no.  Unrighteous money belongs to Caesar; his image and inscription is on it.  “Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” (Matthew 22:21).

    What exactly belongs to God?  God’s image is on man, so man belongs to God.  We should give and dedicate ourselves to the Lord; while money should be given and dedicated to “Caesar.”

    Solomon says money answers everything. (Ecclesiastes 10:19).  That may be true technically; but money is not the answer to most things.  Solomon himself discovered that all that money gave him was vanity upon vanity.  He says: “He who loves silver will not be satisfied with silver; nor he who loves abundance, with increase.” (Ecclesiastes 5:10).

    Wisdom of God

    This is what I have learnt at the feet of the Lord.  Money is not valuable; we are always giving it away in one transaction or the other.  The most valuable things in this world are free.  The most important jobs in Christ are the ones for which we receive no wages whatsoever.  The poor are far more generous than the rich. (Mark 12:41-44).

    Martins Hile urgently needed to get somewhere, so he asked the Lord for money for transportation.  But the Lord said to him: “Stop asking me for money.”  The Lord told Martins to go and stand by the side of the road.

    As soon as he did so, a car pulled up in front of him.  “Martins, where are you going?” asked the driver, who happened to be someone well-known to him.  He then took Martins exactly where he was going.

    The Lord said to Martins: “You don’t need any money.  All you need is Me!”

  • God’s preference for the last above the first (2) – By Femi Aribisala

    God’s preference for the last above the first (2) – By Femi Aribisala

    God rejects everything that is first in this world. He is even opposed to every firstborn child.

    When God delivered Israel from bondage in Egypt, He killed all the firstborn of the Egyptians, including the firstborn of their livestock. But He saved the firstborn of the Israelites.

    Thereafter, He commanded that all the firstborn males of Israel should be sacrificed to Him. (Exodus 22:29). To avoid death, he later said they had to be redeemed with money. (Numbers 18:15-16).

    “Jesus is the firstborn among many brothers.

    Jacob and Esau

    With the children of Isaac, God preferred the younger Jacob to Esau, the firstborn, even before they were born.

    When Rebecca, Isaac’s wife, was pregnant with the twins, the babies struggled within her. God then told her: “Two nations are in your womb, two peoples shall be separated from your body; one people shall be stronger than the other, and the older shall serve the younger.” (Genesis 25:23).

    God later elaborates on this strange preference for the younger over the older: “Was not Esau Jacob’s brother? ‘Yet Jacob I have loved; but Esau I have hated, and laid waste his mountains and his heritage for the jackals of the wilderness.’” (Malachi 1:2-3).

    In a moment of weakness, Esau then sold his birthright to Jacob. Therefore, Malachi describes the Edomites, the descendants of Esau as: “The people against whom the Lord will have indignation forever.” (Malachi 1:4).

    Judah and Reuben

    With Jacob’s children, God preferred the younger Judah to Reuben, the firstborn. In a classical synchronicity between divine providence and seemingly independent human action, Reuben offended his father, Jacob, by sleeping with his concubine. Thereby, he forfeited his firstborn status.

    On his deathbed, Jacob denounced Reuben: “Reuben, you are my firstborn, my strength, the child of my vigorous youth. You are first in rank and first in power. But you are as unruly as a flood, and you will be first no longer. For you went to bed with my wife; you defiled my marriage couch.” (Genesis 49:3-4).

    Judah then became first. He was not even next in line but the fourth child. However, Simeon and Levi, the second and third, also offended Jacob because they avenged Shechem’s rape of their sister Dinah by killing his entire family.

    God ratified Judah’s new premier status. When the Israelites asked God which tribe should lead their fight against the Benjamites, God replied: “Judah shall go first.” (Judges 20:18).

    Judah new pre-eminence is evident in its being the tribe that produced Jesus. Judah means praise, appropriately the divinely prescribed starting point of godly worship: “Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise.” (Psalm 100:4).

    Ephraim and Manasseh

    God preferred Ephraim, the younger son of Joseph, to Manasseh, the firstborn. When Jacob was blessing Joseph’s children, he placed his right hand on Ephraim’s head. Joseph objected, saying it should be on Manasseh: “No, my father, this one is the firstborn, put your right hand on his head.”

    But Jacob refused and said: “I know, my son, I know. He too will become a people, and he too will become great. Nevertheless, his younger brother will be greater than he, and his descendants will become a group of nations.’ He blessed them that day and said, ‘In your name will Israel pronounce this blessing: May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh.’ So, he put Ephraim ahead of Manasseh.” (Genesis 48: 18-20).

    Similarly, Aaron was the firstborn son of Amram, but God chose his younger brother, Moses, to deliver Israel from Egypt. (Exodus 7:7). Eliab was the firstborn son of Jesse, but God chose David, the eighth child, to be the ruler of Israel after Saul. (1 Samuel 16:6-7).

    Furthermore, Amnon was the firstborn son of David. But by divine providence, Absalom, his half-brother, killed him because he raped his sister Dinah. Absalom himself was killed while trying to usurp his father’s throne. Thereafter, God chose the younger Solomon as king instead of his older brother, Adonijah.

    Prodigal son

    In Jesus’ parable of the Prodigal Son, the father celebrated the unfaithful younger son, who left home and squandered his inheritance on riotous living, when he finally returned home; to the annoyance of the older brother who stayed faithfully behind.

    Although the father tried to comfort the older brother by pointing out that he could have thrown a party for his friends anytime he wanted, it was clear even that option would still have been inferior to the party the father threw for the younger prodigal son. If he took that initiative, he would not have had the audacity to kill the fatted calf, which is reserved for special occasions. But the fatted calf was killed for the younger prodigal son.

    Accordingly, Jesus affirms the principle of God’s rejection of the firstborn, saying: “Many who are first will be last, and the last first.” (Matthew 19:30). Paul also points out that: “God chooses people according to His own purposes; He calls people, but not according to their good or bad works.” (Romans 9:11-12).

    God gives us what we do not deserve and not what we think we deserve. The younger prodigal son who wasted his inheritance did not deserve the father’s grace and forgiveness. Therefore, he received it. The older faithful son who thought he deserved it did not receive it. That is kingdom dynamics.

    Firstborn Jesus

    This divine providence whereby the firstborn is rejected assumes even greater resonance when we recognise that Jesus Himself is the firstborn son of Mary and Joseph. Spiritually, He is described as: “The firstborn over all creation.” (Colossians 1:15). “The firstborn among many brothers.” (Romans 8:29).

    Therefore, what is most remarkable about the parable of the Prodigal Son is that the story is told by Jesus, our older brother in the family of God. Jesus is the firstborn; we are His younger brothers. He is the older brother who did not get what He deserved, while we are his younger brothers who get what we do not deserve.

    Jesus is the proverbial older brother, and believers are collectively the Prodigal Son. Jesus is the Son that was always with the Father, the Son that never transgressed the Father’s laws in any way. He is the brother that watches as the Father and His angels rejoice over every repentant sinner.

    But unlike the brother of the prodigal son, Jesus rejoices when we return to the Father. In fact, we are the joy that was set before Him whereby He: “endured the cross, despising the shame.” (Hebrews 12:2).

    “(Jesus) was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed.” (Isaiah 53:5).

    Thanks to Jesus, despite squandering our inheritance through our sins, we are nevertheless: “Heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ.” (Romans 8:17). “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16).

    “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ.” (2 Corinthians 5:17-18).

    CONTINUED

  • [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: Can God count on you?

    [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: Can God count on you?

    Read: DANIEL 3:8-30

    Meditation verse:

    “But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor  will we worship the gold image which you have set up.” (Daniel 3:18).

    Three young men stood in the moment of truth; bow down to the king’s golden  image or be thrown into a fiery furnace. It would have been so easy to bow, after  all it was just a small compromise to make life easier for them in the foreign  land. It did not necessarily mean they were no longer faithful to God. However,  they were wise enough to understand that compromising would poison their  allegiance to Jehovah. So, against all odds, they chose to defy the king’s  command. And God honored their commitment.  

    You may find yourself in a moment of truth sooner or later faced with a  temptation to compromise just to make life a little easier. It may be to alter the  figure, jump the queue, tell a little lie to look good, engage in an adulterous  relationship, give that bribe to obtain a favor, or what have you. Can God count  on you at such moments to say: ‘let it be known that I will not bow?’. Refusing  to bow can be a very lonely road to travel. Picture Shadrach, Meshach, and  Abednego standing before the crowd, whilst the officials prepared the fiery  furnace. It is much easier to follow the crowd. But if you want to excel in life and  fulfill purpose, you must learn to stand alone sometimes. The journey to Calvary  was a very lonely and painful one for Jesus Christ.  

    However, the three young men were not alone, the bible says there was a fourth  man was in the fire with them. Similarly, in your own moments, you are never  alone. God promises to be with you always. “When you pass through the waters,  I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you  walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you” (Isaiah 43:2). Remembering that God is always with you, will help you make the  right choice in your moment of truth.

     

    IN HIS PRESENCE is written by Pst (Mrs) Oke Chinye, Founder of The Rock Teaching Ministry (TRTM).

    For Prayers and Counseling email rockteachingministry@gmail.com

    or call +2348155525555

    For more enquiries, visit: www.rockteachingministry.org.

  • [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: God will always make a way of escape

    [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: God will always make a way of escape

    Read: 1 Corinthians 10: 1-13

    Meditation verse:

    “No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God  is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but  with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to  bear it” (1 Corinthians 10:13).

    It is often said the only thing that is constant in life is change. What this means  is that we have little control over certain events, and so life can suddenly  happen. Things can happen suddenly that disrupt the normal course of our lives.  However, no matter how badly disrupted our lives and plans become, God can  never be taken by surprise. He always makes provision for you to overcome any  disruption. You may however fail to see the provision due to several reasons. 

    If you keep focusing on the problem. Yesterday is not ours to recover, but  tomorrow is ours to win or lose. Look to God and ask Him to show you the route  of escape to that problem. Psalm 123:2 says “behold, as the eyes of servants  look to the hand of their masters, as the eyes of a maid to the hand of her  mistress, so our eyes look to the Lord our God, until He has mercy on us”. 

    If you refuse to step out of your comfort zone and move forward. Due to fear of  the unknown, we stay rooted in the same spot even when God has shown us  what to do to navigate the problem. God had to rebuke Moses; “why are you  crying out to me? Tell the people to get moving! (Exodus 14:15, NLT). God had  already guaranteed them a safe passage to the promised land. Yet as they  approached the red sea, with Pharoah and his men behind them, they were  afraid and kept crying out to God. They choose to keep their eyes on the problem  instead of on God. 

    If you desperately hold on to old plans you will not be able to create a new way.  When things fall apart, something new can rise to replace it. Collapse does not  only mean devastation, but it can also mean opportunity. Life is a lively process  of becoming. If your previous plans have been disrupted due to an unexpected  occurrence, make new plans. Until you try, you may never know.

     

    IN HIS PRESENCE is written by Pst (Mrs) Oke Chinye, Founder of The Rock Teaching Ministry (TRTM).

    For Prayers and Counseling email rockteachingministry@gmail.com

    or call +2348155525555

    For more enquiries, visit: www.rockteachingministry.org.

  • [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: Inside God’s garden of grace

    [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: Inside God’s garden of grace

    Read: PHILIPPIANS 3:14-15

    Meditation verse:

    “Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended, but one thing I do,  forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forward to those things  which are ahead” (Philippians 4:13).

    Have you ever pondered on the fact that many of characters mentioned in the  bible for their great acts of faith had their moments of weakness? If you haven’t,  here is a summary for you. 

    Jacob was a supplanter until God change His name. His brother Esau sold off his birthright for a morsel of porridge. His father Isaac married two sisters. 

    His grandfather Abraham, slept with and Impregnated the maid.  King David slept with and impregnated the wife of a member of his army, he  then arranged for the man to be killed to cover his act. 

    Jonah ran away when God told him to preach to the people of Nineveh. He  ended up inside the belly of a whale for three days and nights. 

    Moses killed an Egyptian and went into exile. 

    Gideon was threshing wheat in the winepress to hide from the Midianites.  Sarah laughed in unbelief when she was told she would have a child at ninety. The woman at the well who evangelized a village had been married five times. Mary Magdalene who anointed Jesus’ feet was delivered from seven demons.  All the disciples abandoned Jesus Christ when He needed them most, except  Peter who followed closely, but who eventually denied him in the courtyard. Saul who became the great Apostle Paul, had slaughtered many Christians.  

    How could God still go on to accomplish great things through these people? God  does not grade people, He justifies them. He does not call the qualified, He  qualifies the called. If God is not in the business of grading others, you shouldn’t  either. Your errors are not enough to stop God’s hand over your life. His love  and grace make up for all your mistakes. Inside God’s garden of grace, even  wounded trees bear fruits.

     

    IN HIS PRESENCE is written by Pst (Mrs) Oke Chinye, Founder of The Rock Teaching Ministry (TRTM).

    For Prayers and Counseling email rockteachingministry@gmail.com

    or call +2348155525555

    For more enquiries, visit: www.rockteachingministry.org.

  • [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: Before God will use you (3)

    [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: Before God will use you (3)

    Read: 1 Samuel 16: 1-23

    Meditation verse:

    “So, Saul said to his servants, “provide me now a man who can play well and  bring him to me” (1 Samuel 16:17).

    Preparation of Circumstances: The last area is the preparation of the  circumstances that will usher you to the place of your assignment. God began  preparing the circumstances needed for David to emerge as king when He  rejected King Saul as king over Israel, due to an act of disobedience on his part.  Next, He set David up to fight with Goliath. Then He began training him for life  in the royal court by setting up work for him there as the King’s armorbearer.  “So, David came to Saul and stood before him. And he loved him greatly and  became his armorbearer… And so, it was, whenever the distressingspirit from  God was upon Saul, that David would take a harp and play it with his hand. Then  Saul would become refreshed and well, and the distressing spirit would depart  from him” (1 Samuel 16:21 & 23).  

    Similarly, preparation of your circumstances will be part of God’s plan to get you  to the place of your assignment. God is busy working behind the scenes of your  life to prepare the circumstances that will enable you to emerge and succeed in  what He has planned for you. He has information known to Him only. Your  circumstances may look bad now, but be encouraged, because God may just be  preparing you for your assignment.  

    Refuse to allow what you see dictate what you believe. Do not judge by what  your eyes see, but by what you hear in the spirit. Do not label any occurrence in  your life as a coincidence or happenstance. God is for you. He is already ahead  of you rearranging the circumstances to favor you. You must be sensitive and  totally submissive to His leading, else you may get discouraged and give up even before you begin. 

    As Jesus (The word) works in you to change your character, the Holy Spirit is  bringing about His fruit to bear in your life. Develop your competence and track  your circumstances. In the fullness of time, you will emerge in the place of your greatness.

     

    IN HIS PRESENCE is written by Pst (Mrs) Oke Chinye, Founder of The Rock Teaching Ministry (TRTM).

    For Prayers and Counseling email rockteachingministry@gmail.com

    or call +2348155525555

    For more enquiries, visit: www.rockteachingministry.org.

  • [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: Before God will use you (2)

    [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: Before God will use you (2)

    Read: 1 Samuel 16: 1-23

    Meditation verse:

    “Look, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, who is skilful in playing, a  mighty man of valour, a man of war, prudent in speech, and a handsome person;  and the Lord is with him” (1 Samuel 16:18).

    Preparation of Competence: Your competence will also need to be prepared.  Every assignment requires a particular set of competencies and these need to  be sharpened. Practice is the best way to sharpen a competence. Musical  competence requires diligent practice. A warrior needs to develop fighting skills  alongside courage. A preacher needs to immerse himself in scriptures to preach  from it. A gifted speaker needs to practice. Even looking good requires effort.  So, the period of preparation is a period for working at your competencies. 

    Before David began his reign as king, he had had enough practice and experience  at developing the competencies he needed: He had mastered the act of  shepherding, he had great courage and an ability to speak. When a particular  skill- ‘playing the harp’ was required in the palace, David received an unsolicited  nomination because his skills stood him out.  

    Several years ago, before I became aware of my assignment, I began to develop  a deep hunger to acquire knowledge. I had no idea that God was preparing me  for the assignment of building and equipping lives. God uses the competencies  we learn: our degrees, our skills and everything else we have. He can take all of  these and strategically position you in the place of your assignment. So, 

    whatever you are doing now, work at doing it better. You just might be in a  season of preparation for your God-ordained purpose. God is a God of  excellence, and He requires you to be excellent at whatever He has entrusted  you with. Success is often said to be the meeting point of preparedness and  opportunity.

     

    IN HIS PRESENCE is written by Pst (Mrs) Oke Chinye, Founder of The Rock Teaching Ministry (TRTM).

    For Prayers and Counseling email rockteachingministry@gmail.com

    or call +2348155525555

    For more enquiries, visit: www.rockteachingministry.org.